2025 – 2026 Highlights: Economics

It has been an exciting and rewarding year for Economics at Channing, with a strong focus on expanding students’ understanding of the subject beyond the curriculum. A key priority has been to increase the visibility of women in Economics and widen opportunities for students, helping them appreciate the breadth of pathways available and the impact they can have in the field.

A major development this year has been the launch of our Women in Economics initiative, inspired by attending the UK Women in Economics Network event at the Bank of England. The experience highlighted both the importance of representation within the discipline and the value of creating spaces where students can engage directly with women working across the profession. Building on this, we hosted the inaugural Channing Women in Economics event, welcoming students from Channing and our partner schools to hear from a panel representing a wide range of economic careers.

The speakers shared their personal journeys into Economics, spanning investment management, policy, research and academia, and spoke openly about the challenges and opportunities they had encountered along the way. Students explored career routes, university choices and day-to-day working life, gaining a much clearer understanding of the diversity of pathways available within the subject. The event provided an inspiring forum for discussion, confidence-building and aspiration, with many students leaving encouraged by seeing relatable role models in careers they had not previously considered accessible. Its success has laid strong foundations for what we hope will become a regular feature of the department’s enrichment programme.

Alongside this, our commitment to connecting Economics with the wider world has continued to grow. One of the year’s highlights was our visit to the Royal Economic Society Annual Public Lecture 2025 at Loughborough University, where thirty Channing economists took part in a full programme of university-level lectures and academic sessions. The keynote lecture, Communicating about the Economy, was delivered by former Bank of England Chief Economist Andy Haldane. He explored the importance of public trust in economic institutions and the challenge of explaining complex economic ideas clearly and effectively. Students were particularly struck by the relevance of these ideas to current economic debates and by the opportunity to experience university-level Economics first-hand.

Our work with external partners has also provided valuable insight into careers in the financial sector. Through our partnership with Girls Are Investors (GAIN), students participated in the GAIN Challenge, producing professional-style equity research reports, investment pitches and stock recommendations. This was complemented by work experience opportunities at UBS and TwentyFour Asset Management, where students observed how economic thinking is applied in areas including trading, asset management and research.

Another highlight of the year was Budget Bingo, where students followed the Chancellor’s Budget in real time while discussing economic priorities, political messaging and policy choices. We also held the second annual Channing Chancellor Challenge, in which Lily M was named our second Channing Chancellor for her winning proposal addressing the trade-off between fiscal sustainability and environmental objectives arising from the new electric vehicle tax.

This has also been a record-breaking year for Economics at Channing, with fifteen students choosing to pursue Economics or Economics-related degrees at university. This reflects both the growing confidence of our students and the department’s ongoing commitment to providing stretch, challenge and meaningful enrichment opportunities.
We look forward to continuing to create opportunities that inspire students and demonstrate the breadth and relevance of Economics beyond the classroom.